Hand guard covers for small arm weapons

ABSTRACT

A hand guard cover for a small arms weapon comprising a molded body having a rectangular shape and including an outer surface, an inner surface, rounded longitudinally extending edges connecting the inner and outer surfaces, rounded transversely extending edges connecting the inner and outer surfaces, and one or more predetermined holes, wherein, the outer surface has an arc shape from one rounded longitudinally extending edge to the other rounded longitudinally extending edge and the inner surface has a shape corresponding to the outer surface that is separated from the outer surface by a thickness of the molded body, and wherein a fastener is inserted through each predetermined hole from outer surface through the molded body to directly interface with a mounting point in one of the hand guard section and a surface of the small arms weapon to secure the hand guard cover to the small arms weapon.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/658,612 having a filing date of Jun. 12, 2012, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a hand guard cover system for covering areas of small arms weapons that become very hot during the firing of the small arms weapon.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Many current small arms weapons, such as rifles, use mounting rail systems for attaching accessories, such as magnification scopes, low light scopes and infrared laser designators to the small arms weapons. The accessories are typically attached to the upper surface of the receiver and along the sides of the stock and/or barrels of the small arms weapons. For example, small arms weapons such as the M16 rifle include one or more picatinny rails for attaching various accessories. A variation of a picatinny rail is a Weaver rail for the attachment of accessories to a small arms weapon. There are several versions and models of rail covers designed to slide-on, lock-on, or snap-on to a Picatinny rail or a Weaver rail of small arms weapons.

The aforementioned mounting rail systems include spaced grooves along the rails for attaching the accessory to the small arms weapon. Since the spaced grooves will collect dirt and other matter when not securing an accessory to the small arms weapon, rail covers that snap into the spaced grooves are used to reduce the amount of dirt and material that collects in the spaced grooves. The rail covers also provide a less abrasive surface to grab and/or hold onto the small arms weapon.

However, some small arms weapons do not include mounting rail systems for attaching accessories. What is needed is a hand guard cover for small arms weapons that are not equipped with mounting rails to secure the hand guard covers to the small arms weapon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hand guard cover for a small arms weapon comprising a molded body having a rectangular shape and including, an outer surface, an inner surface, rounded longitudinally extending edges connecting the inner and outer surfaces, rounded transversely extending edges connecting the inner and outer surfaces, and one or more predetermined holes, wherein the outer surface has an arc shape from one rounded longitudinally extending edge to the other rounded longitudinally extending edge and the inner surface has a shape corresponding to the outer surface and is separated from the outer surface by a thickness of the molded body, and wherein a fastener is inserted through each predetermined hole from the outer surface through the molded body to directly interface with a mounting point in one of the hand guard section and a surface of the small arms weapon to secure the hand guard cover to the small arms weapon.

In some embodiments of the hand guard cover, the corner areas where the longitudinally extending rounded edges and the transverse extending rounded edges join are formed in the shape of a rounded arc. In other embodiments, the hand guard is formed of a plastic. In these embodiments, the hand guard cover is formed of a plastic of one or more resins from the polypropylene family of resins, the nylon family of resins and the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) family of resins.

In some embodiments, the hand guard cover is fastened using is a screw fastener. In another embodiment, the fastener is a machined thread and a nut. In yet another embodiment, the fastener is a sheet metal self-tapping thread.

In one embodiment, the fastener is a push-in clip fastener. In another embodiment, the fastener is a rivet fastener. In yet another embodiment, the fastener is a peened, rolled and swaged set stud. In yet another embodiment, the fastener is a push-pin fastener formed of one of a metal and a heat resistant plastic.

In other embodiments, the fastener is one of a hook and loop fastener, a dual lock fastener, a two-sided tape, and a structural adhesive. In another embodiment, the fastener is an integral molded clip that is part of the inner surface of the hand guard cover. In yet another embodiment, the hand guard cover is fastened directly to the small arms weapon via existing predetermined drilled holes.

In some embodiments, the outer surface displays advertising.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred mode of practicing the invention, read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the hand guard cover of the present invention;

FIG. 2( a) depicts a small arms weapon hand guard without Picatinny rails or Weaver rails;

FIG. 2( b) depicts a small arms weapon hand guard with the hand guard cover of the present invention attached; and

FIG. 3 shows detailed drawings for one embodiment of the hand guard cover of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The hand guard cover of the present invention provides an apparatus for covering areas of the hand guard sections of a small arms weapon that become very hot during the firing of the small arms weapon and pose a burn threat to the user without the need for a Picatinny rail or a Weaver rail. The disclosed hand guard system is primarily applicable for the hand guard sections tubular style small arms weapons that do not include a Picatinny rail or Weaver rail for mounting or adhering hand guard covers to the small arms weapons hand guard section.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of hand guard cover 1. The first embodiment of hand guard cover 1 is a molded product having a primarily rectangular shape with an outer surface 4, an inner surface 6 (see FIG. 3), longitudinally extending rounded edges 8 along the longer longitudinal edges of hand guard cover 1 and transverse extending rounded edges 9 along the shorter transverse edges of hand guard cover 1, as shown in FIG. 1. The outer surface 4 and inner surface 6 are joined at longitudinally extending rounded edges 8 and transverse extending rounded edges 9. The corner areas 10 where longitudinally extending rounded edges 8 and transverse extending rounded edges 9 join are formed as a rounded arc, as shown in FIG. 1. The thickness of the hand guard cover is in a range from 0.10 inches to 0.50 inches.

Outer surface 4 is formed having an arc shape from one longitudinally extending rounded edge 8 to the other longitudinally extending rounded edge 8 and inner surface 6 is formed having a shape corresponding to outer surface 4 that is separated from outer surface 4 by a thickness of hand guard cover 1. The arc shape substantially conforms to the shape of the hand guard section of the small arms weapon. In some embodiments, the arc shape increases in a step-wise manner from a center of hand guard cover 1 to each of the longitudinally extending rounded edges 8. In other embodiments, the arc shape is a smooth arc from one longitudinally extending rounded edge 8 to the other longitudinally extending rounded edge 8. The arc shape and the number of step-wise changes in the arc depend on the shape of the hand guard or surface of the small arms weapon.

Hand guard cover 1 is formed of a plastic formed of resins from one or more of resins from the polypropylene family of resins, the nylon family of resins and the thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) family of resins.

Each hand guard cover 1 includes one or more predetermined holes 15 that are positioned within the hand guard cover 1 to accept mounting and fastening hardware from outer surface 4 through hand guard cover 1 to directly interface with a mounting point in or on the hand guard section or another surface of the small arms weapon. While the dimensions of predetermined holes 15 and mounting areas may vary between different manufacturers of small arms weapons hand guard systems without Picatinny rails or Weaver rails, hand guard cover 1 is adapted to mount and adhere to small arms weapon tubular hand guards without the use of a Picatinny rail or a Weaver rail by mounting directly to the hand guard or surface of the small arms weapon. In some embodiments, predetermined holes 15 are in the form of slots.

Hand guard cover 1 is fastened to the hand guard section or surface of the small arms weapon for covering areas of small arms weapons that become very hot during the firing of the small arms weapon. The mounting and fastening hardware for fastening hand guard cover 1 to the hand guard section or surface of the small arms weapon include threaded screws, including socket head cap screws, hex head screws, Phillips screws, torx screws and similar screw fasteners, machined threads with related nuts, sheet metal self-tapping screw, push-in clip fasteners, such as Christmas tree fasteners, dog house fasteners and the like, set rivets, pulled rivets (i.e., pop rivets), formed of at least one of metal and plastic, solid rivets and peened, rolled & swaged set studs. The fastening and mounting hardware also includes push-pin fasteners formed of metal or a heat resistant plastic, hook & loop fasteners (i.e., Velcro), dual lock fasteners, two sided tape, and structural adhesives. Other embodiments of the fastening and mounting hardware include custom integral molded clips that are formed in or incorporated into the inner surface of the hand guard 1 for a specific application.

FIG. 2( a) illustrates a hand guard of a small arms weapon without Picatinny rails or Weaver Rails. FIG. 2( b) illustrates the hand guard of a small arms weapon with a hand guard cover 1 of the present invention installed. Hand guard cover 1 provides a smooth surface for the operator of the small arms weapon to grab onto and also provides some protection from the heat of the surface of the small arms weapon. Outer surface 4 of hand guard cover 1 also provides a smooth relatively flat surface for competition shooting enthusiasts to display names and logos of their sponsors on their small arms weapons.

In the embodiment of hand guard cover 1 shown in FIG. 3, the length of the longitudinally extending edges is approximately 6.2 inches and the length of the transverse extending edges is 1.44 inches. The amount of arc is 0.40 inches and is formed in two increments from the center to the longitudinally extending rounded edge 8 of hand guard cover 1.

In another embodiment, the hand guard cover 1 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape without rounded corner areas 10. In other embodiments, the length of the longitudinally extending edges ranges from about 3 inches to about 9 inches and the length of the transverse extending edges ranges from about 1 inch to about 1.5 inches. The shape, size and thickness of hand guard cover 1 are modified based on the one or more resin materials used to form hand guard cover 1 and to fit the surface area available for mounting hand guard cover 1 to the small arms weapon.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred mode as illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. 

I claim:
 1. A hand guard cover for a small arms weapon comprising a molded body having a rectangular shape and including: an outer surface; an inner surface; rounded longitudinally extending edges connecting the inner and outer surfaces; rounded transversely extending edges connecting the inner and outer surfaces; and one or more predetermined holes, wherein the outer surface has an arc shape from one rounded longitudinally extending edge to the other rounded longitudinally extending edge and the inner surface has a shape corresponding to the outer surface and is separated from the outer surface by a thickness of the molded body, and wherein a fastener is inserted through each predetermined hole from the outer surface through the molded body to directly interface with a mounting point in one of a hand guard section and a surface of the small arms weapon to secure the hand guard cover to the small arms weapon.
 2. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein corner areas where the rounded longitudinally extending edges and the rounded transverse extending edges join are formed in the shape of a rounded arc.
 3. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the hand guard cover is formed of a plastic.
 4. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a screw fastener.
 5. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a machined thread and a nut.
 6. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a sheet metal self-tapping screw.
 7. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a push-in clip fastener.
 8. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a rivet fastener.
 9. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a peened, rolled and swaged set stud.
 10. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a push-pin fastener formed of one of a metal and a heat resistant plastic.
 11. The hand guard cover of claim 10, wherein the plastic is a resin from one or more of a polypropylene family of resins, a nylon family of resins and a thermoplastic elastomer family of resins.
 12. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the fastener is one of a hook and loop fastener, a dual lock fastener, a two-sided tape, and a structural adhesive.
 13. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the fastener is an integral molded clip that is part of the inner surface of the hand guard cover.
 14. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the outer surface displays advertising.
 15. The hand guard cover of claim 1, wherein the hand guard cover is fastened directly to the small arms weapon via existing predetermined drilled holes in the small arms weapon. 